Category: Over The Top Services

Mumbai: Game and esports content platform Rooter has signed an exclusive long-term deal with streamer Lokesh Raj Singh, popularly known as Lokesh Gamer. Going forward, the YouTube star will live stream all of his gameplay—including his Free Fire matchups—exclusively on the Rooter platform. The association further strengthens Rooter’s presence in India’s game streaming space, which is currently estimated to have more than 400 million gamers. More importantly, it moves the platform one step closer to its vision of building the largest and most engaging gaming content library for Indian esports enthusiasts and game streamers.

Rooter currently hosts streamers, including most of India’s biggest esports teams (Godlike, Orangutan Gaming, and more) as well as 30 upcoming esports teams. In recent months, it has also signed deals with popular streamers such as Jonathan, Shreeman, Neo, Rox, and more, increasing its repository of top gaming content. Its association with Lokesh, who has over 15 million subscribers on his gaming channel, marks another stellar addition to the growing cast of gaming streamers on the platform.

Rooter co-founder & COO Dipesh Agarwal said, “The market for live game streaming and game-based content creation as a medium of entertainment has exploded over the last few years. As the largest and most preferred game streaming platform in India, our aim is to be the destination for the most engaging and interactive content experiences. We have been strengthening our tech capabilities and product features, which have attracted many popular streamers and tonnes of fans. Bringing top creators like Lokesh on board is another step towards our long-term goal of becoming the de facto live streaming and engagement platform for Indian gamers and gaming enthusiasts.”

Lokesh Gamer said, “Rooter has built a strong presence in the Indian live game streaming space in the last few years. With several interesting product features like the capability of directly streaming from the app, personalised user feeds, and monetization models, they’ve created great opportunities for content creators to grow and fans to enjoy engaging content on the platform. I am excited to partner with Rooter and look forward to interacting with their strong gaming community and delivering entertaining live streams.”

User interest in game streaming on Rooter has increased significantly; nearly 120k hours of gaming content are streamed every day on the platform, attracting over 70 lakh daily views.

The company added that top streamers have also seen their follower base increase drastically since beginning their streaming operations on Rooter. For instance, in just six months of streaming on Rooter, popular creators like Jonathan and Shreeman Legend have built a follower base of one million on the platform. Other popular Rooter gamers, like CeltzRoxx, have also posted healthy growth in key metrics, with an eight per cent week-on-week increase in their follower count.

Mumbai: Talkwalker, a consumer intelligence and deep listening company in partnership with Twitter, released its latest Birdseye report, focusing on the #FinTwit (financial Twitter) community.

As an official partner of Twitter, Talkwalker was able to dive deep into the conversation on Twitter to provide consumer insights on this audience and the conversations they are having.

As the financial crisis is felt across the world, it’s critical to understand what’s behind those monetary conversations, the audience driving them, and how brands can use these insights to enable their consumer connections.

According to the report, while the majority of #FinTwit profiles are focused on cryptocurrency and NFTs, those most active in the conversation are still discussing investment opportunities (42 per cent).

In India, tech-savvy millennials are helping grow the popularity of crypto, while Southeast Asia is seeing a vibrant web 3.0 scene.

The growth of crypto and NFT-focused discussions is encouraging the expansion of the community, up by +102 per cent in Asia, +57.3 per cent in Europe, and +19.7 per cent in North America from August 2021 to August 2022.

The community is broadly forward-thinking, moving away from traditional finance and looking more towards a decentralised finance model, the report added.

As an industry-leading consumer intelligence platform, Talkwalker uses proprietary AI technology to derive insights from the community. Their ongoing investment in AI means Talkwalker clients can identify actionable insights faster and more accurately than ever before.

The report helps brands understand this audience and quickly take action based on the insights provided, providing a vital resource given the fast-moving nature of the FinTwit community.

“Twitter is a soundboard for the world,” said Talkwalker CMO David Low. “When it comes to finance, #FinTwit has its finger on the pulse, discussing the major changes of the day as they happen. If there’s a monetary issue bubbling, they will know about it first. By partnering with Twitter on this report, Talkwalker analysed the audience in-depth to uncover vital insights.”

Mumbai: After a successful 13-week run, the popular Telugu dance reality show Dance Ikon has finally come to an end. It has been one of the top-rated Telugu shows on the streaming platform Aha.

Emerging as the winners of aha’s Dance Ikon after battling 12 other aspirants, Asif and Raju reached many unprecedented highs. While Asif walked away with the prize money of Rs 20 lakhs and the sought-after Dance Ikon trophy, as promised, Raju got a chance to choreograph for a top Tollywood actor. The winner announcement was held at the Dance Ikon sets, where Asif and Raju were presented the Dance Ikon trophy by the judges and producers.

The gala evening witnessed some remarkable performances by contestants in the presence of Tollywood producers who are the owners of the contestants: Geetha Arts’ Allu Aravind, Mythri Movie Makers’ Ravi Shankar, SVCC’s Bapineedu & Hanshitha, and Sithara Entertainments’ Naga Vamsi. The producers raised the finalists’ energy levels as the participants reached the finish line.

While speaking on winning the competition, choreographer Raju said, “Words can’t begin to describe what Dance Ikonmeans to me. Dance is my passion, my one true love, and today it has brought me to a new destination and labelled me as the winner of Dance Ikon! I would like to thank my contestant Asif for standing by me throughout my journey, my fellow choreographers for challenging me at every point, and the judges for inspiring me week after week to give Dance Ikon my very best. Thank you, viewers, and aha, for making my aspiration a reality.”

“Dance Ikon has been very entertaining. We managed to rope in an eclectic mix of contestants, bring in varied dance forms, and put together some extraordinary acts. This show was about many firsts. I would like to congratulate not only Raju and Asif but all the other contestants and choreographers who contributed to making Dance Ikon a memorable one,” commented aha CEO Ajit Thakur.

Mumbai: It’s almost the end of 2022, and the sentence I have said almost every day this year is that short-form video content is the key to marketing. At By The Gram (BTG), we work with numerous OTT platforms and are responsible for marketing all of the many great movies/shows. Here are five short-form content marketing strategies we live by:

1.  Keep it short: We say this to everyone. Gone are the days where viewers had the time, patience, and energy to sit through really long pieces of content. While the viewership is increasing, the attention span is decreasing. We have reels and Tik-Tok to thank for that. Keep in mind that the average user decides whether to continue watching or scroll to the next video within the first five to 10 seconds. So you should ensure your video is engaging and short. You have to squeeze as much information and brand awareness into the shortest amount of time as possible. This past year, we analysed the different pieces of content that we produced, ranging from six minutes right down to 30/15 seconds, and found out that length really does matter for videos/content. The very fact that your video is long may explain why it’s not doing so well.

2.  Engage, engage, engage: Because your content is usually going to be short, you have to ensure your content is engaging. It has to grab the attention of your target audience, give them the information they need. Ensure you’re getting your ROI because creating content is an expensive task, so you need to get the most bang for your buck as a platform. Engaging content for platforms is a little more difficult due to the bulk of content already out there and the numerous titles they are marketing on a daily basis. So when we start conceptualising a campaign for an OTT platform, we ensure it’s different from the other titles they are actively marketing at the same time. Sometimes, as an agency, we are working on multiple titles for the platform. In that case, we ensure that we have different creative teams working on the titles to ensure each campaign is unique and engages the audience.

3.  Authenticity is important: Let’s face it, there are so many OTT platforms out there today, all competing to be the best and most unique. All of them want their content to trend, and it’s so easy to go down this wormhole as a creative agency. So it’s imperative, while ideating and strategising, to be authentic to the brand you’re representing. You can’t reuse and recycle the same strategies, you can’t even do that for the way the content is shot/edited. In my opinion, everything you create has to be in tune with the brand identity; only then will it resonate with the audience.

4.  Behind-the-scenes content: Social media platforms allow you to connect with your audience on a one-on-one basis. For mammoth OTT platforms, it’s almost impossible to avoid BTS content for their films and shows. We curate campaigns around the BTS we capture on set. It’s an all-access pass to your favourite shows and movies. You don’t want to miss the chance for the audience to connect with your characters and take a deep dive into the world that you have created. Give them a chance to be emotionally connected with your cast/crew before your movie even releases. It is also extremely cost-effective, saving you a lot of money on creating specific, costly marketing concepts after shooting your film or website.

5.  User generated content: As a marketer, you may think your main goal is to create content that reaches users, but a true winning moment is when the user engages with your content to the point of using it as a basis to create their own content. You want to create a campaign that’s 360. Plan your content drops in such a way that user generated content can be the last leg of your campaign. I.e., you want those trending songs, you want those parody dialogue videos, and you want those memes to go viral. You want your film or television show to be the talk of the town. Whether you do this by hiring the correct influencers to kick off these trends or not, you want your key cast to promote, promote, promote. All of it has to align with the larger campaign and feel like a cohesive whole.

I’ll leave you with one extra tip as the cherry on top of a great marketing strategy. Whether you’re a marketer or an OTT platform, you must invest in quality. The quality of your content matters, even when it is super short. Don’t rush, and don’t skimp on production quality. As an agency, we invest in high-quality equipment, experienced videographers and photographers, and editors who are well-versed in various software programs. As a platform, you need an agency/studio that understands you and has a vested interest in the success of your titles. That is not a place you want to cut costs. If this year has taught us anything, it is that content is more important than ever before.

The author of this article is By The Gram (BTG) co-founder Eman Batliwalla.

Mumbai: The internet has boosted the startup scene all over the world, including India. Many homegrown startups have not only attracted a good customer base but are seeing investors of all sizes plug their money at different stages of the startups’ expansion in their respective markets.

Here’s why the startup space is a priority asset class for most domestic investors in the modern era.

Investing capital for increased returns is critical in everyone’s life, especially after the covid-19 pandemic loomed uncertainty by rocking the global financial markets. As the investment sphere is heavily sentiment-driven, the massive job losses, slashed incomes, and irregular business cash flows led to the crash of indices on the back of arrested investments and demand for liquid funds.

The investment sphere is slowly regaining traction on the green side as we steadily put behind the adverse effects of the pandemic. In these times, the hot topic for most has been investment in the startup space. As India builds its way toward increased adoption of digitisation, most startups in the digital sphere have thrived as their investors and customer base are all here on the internet, irrespective of their physical presence.

So, why are so many startups in India succeeding in attracting investors of all types at various stages of their funding requirements?

High Reward Potential – With a small capital fund investment, the returns can be subsequently 2x-10x basis of the scale at which the startup is attracting customers. Though they are high-risk assets, an investment in a startup can be highly rewarding. Take for instance Google which was a startup once and led its path to go public and raise $500 million for early-stage investors. A whopping return on investment is what startups are known for among investors.

Change-maker – Most startups have principles that state how the firm strives to bring about an adaptable change in society, leading to the betterment of the environment and promoting sustainability. See, for instance, how most startups have been operating digitally instead of with brick-and-mortar stores, which subsequently reduces their carbon footprint. They regularly measure and report about their emissions and the means to bring them down through their learning.

Side hustle – As the invested capital keeps giving good returns, most investors invest in this space to use the generated profits to meet their operational costs. As a result, for many investors, investing in startups is a side hustle.

Gain market recognition – Being a part of the start-ups’ journey, as an investor, you get the chance to meet several industry veterans who are likewise investors, board members of the company, or just meet several industry experts at many forums where all of them come together. As an investor, you stand a chance for increased recognition in the market.

Early investing – Saving from shelling out more capital for a larger share of the startup, early-stage investing often helps the investor reap better and higher returns when the start-up starts to thrive. One must be mindful of the amount of investment in any startup, while also being mindful that the model is subject to failure.

Diversifying your portfolio – As many investors park their capital in stocks and share markets, in a bid not to fall prey to the market volatility risk with their investment every time, they can consider investing in a startup. While a startup is too subject to market risk due to demand-supply fluctuations, etc., they are not as sensitive and are affected daily by the shift in market dynamics. They are focused more on targeted sectors, so the risk of fluctuation in the investment is lesser. It thereby diversifies one’s investment portfolio. Invest in 10 different start-ups in 10 varied categories for a dynamic understanding and diversification of your portfolio.

High potential for buy-outs – A startup, on the back of its high performance and high returns can be subject to be acquired by any of the investors eyeing to take control of the operations. Offering fair compensation for the acquisition, as an investor, one can potentially see the brighter side of capital gain with the buy-out of the startup/s that they have invested their money in.

While it cannot be denied that startups are subject to failure and there’s a risk of your investment getting razed altogether, there’s risk in your investment in the stock and share markets, real estate assets, gold, and other bonds. Why not put your hands in and get a first-person experience of how investing in startups works?

The author of this article is Om Dayal Group founder Sanjiv Agrawal.

Mumbai: MX Player has been recognised as a top employer at the India Workplace Equality Index (IWEI) 2022.
MX Player has been honoured with the bronze badge, which recognises the development of inclusive policies and the initiation of activities that promote LGBT+ inclusion at work.

MX Player has worked consciously to create a work environment in which all people are truly welcomed, valued, and respected—for all of who they are.

Considering diversity and inclusion to be critical pillars for an organisation’s success, MX Player launched #PressPlayForAll in June 2022 for its 100K+ LinkedIn family.

With gender-neutral medical and leave policies, attracting LGBTQ+ candidates through its LinkedIn page, and using social media platforms to lead conversations on LGBTQ+ equality, the brand has also actively engaged with the LGBTQ+ community at the grassroots level.

Speaking on being awarded the bronze badge at IWEI 2022, MX Player CEO Karan Bedi said, “We are humbled to receive this recognition and acknowledge the contribution of every stakeholder in this journey. At MX Player, we have always invested in pioneering initiatives and introduced policies that accept and cherish all employees, thus helping to build a progressive work environment. The IWEI 2022 recognition is a testament to the people-first culture that MX Player has built over the years.”

Commenting on making the workplace diverse and inclusive, MX Player Global HR Head Anjani B. Kuumar said, “As an organisation that is deeply invested in the well-being of its employees, our leadership team is committed to building a healthy and safe workplace culture, and inclusion is one of our top priorities. For a young organisation like ours, this recognition by IWEI will further propel us to strengthen our inclusion policies and initiatives.”

IWEI is India’s first comprehensive benchmarking tool for employers to track their progress toward lesbian, gay, bi, and trans (LGBT+) workplace inclusion. The index assesses nine areas: policies and benefits, employee lifecycle, employee network group, allies and role models, senior leadership, monitoring, procurement, community engagement, and other work.

MX Player also participated in Pride Circle’s Ally Challenge 2022, pledging to be active allies and inviting all employees to participate by sharing their pledges, in order to encourage and lead the workforce toward being allies.

Mumbai: Amazon miniTV – Amazon’s free -video streaming service, sets its foot in the patriotic genre with Rakshak: India’s Braves as the nation commemorates 77 years of Independence. The patriotic drama narrates the supreme sacrifice made by Lt. Triveni Singh on 2 January at Jammu station when he saved over 300 civilians while surrendering his own life without hesitation. The film has piqued the curiosity of audiences from all corners of the nation owing to its inspiring and gripping narrative, top-notch action and battle scenes, and on-point dialogue delivery. 

While Rakshak: India’s Braves is available for viewers to witness Lt. Triveni’s sacrifice for the nation only on Amazon miniTV, the lead star cast, Varun Mitra and Kanika Mann, recently jetted off to New Delhi to celebrate the success of the hard-hitting film in the national capital. The lead actors visited India Gate to take a step closer to make the viewers acquainted with the bravery and sacrifices made to keep our country secure, as seen through the eyes of a key soldier. Making pit stops and sharing insights with multiple media in Delhi, Varun Mitra and Kanika Mann visited India Gate, as they paid homage to our security forces while passing by numerous places of historical significance garnering the adoration of fans in the city. 

Rakshak- India’s Braves weaves a narrative of passion, heroism, and ultimate sacrifice to tell a story of bravery, Lieutenant Triveni Singh and his formidable squad heroically thwarted a terrorist attack at Jammu Tawi Railway Station, thereby saving the lives of innocent people. The film features an all-star cast led by Varun Mitra, Kanika Mann, Mrinal Naval, Mrinal Kulkarni, and Mohit Chauhan, and it was directed by Akshay Chaubey and produced by Juggernaut.

Unfold the courageous and heroic story of Lt. Triveni Singh in Rakshak- India’s Braves, streaming live on Amazon miniTV, for free within the Amazon shopping app and on Fire TV.

Mumbai: Mirchi, India’s no.1 city-centric music and entertainment company, is celebrating the spirit of India’s Independence Day in Bangalore, through a week-long initiative called Sakkath Independent Maga. Mirchi has brought music to the centre of these celebrations by collaborating with independent artists from the Kannada industry, providing them with a platform to connect and engage with listeners across the city. Popular Kannada artists including Rapper Gubbi, MC Bijju and Aura, Chandan Shetty, All Ok, Vasu Dixit, and Sangeetha Rajeev don the hat of RJs to take over the airwaves for a week filled with music, passion, and nostalgic warmth. 

Each day the listeners have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the captivating beats and rhythms of Kannada’s independent music scene. The artists eloquently present their unique interpretations of freedom, weaving them into raps and rhymes on-air and across Mirchi’s digital platforms. Extending this initiative to social media, Mirchi has curated multiple artist-led content pieces, to keep its audience entertained.

Commenting on this initiative, Mirchi ENIL business director (Bengaluru, Karnataka) Pushpendra Singh  said, “Over the past two decades Mirchi has remained steadfast in its commitment to provide a platform and creating opportunities for artists across the nation. This Independence Day Mirchi orchestrates a symphony that beautifully merges music, culture, and freedom, commemorating the remarkable diversity and talent inherent in the Kannada independent music scene. Through the power of radio, we aim to spotlight and amplify the voices that have shaped India’s music landscape. These artists have elevated the Independence Day celebrations through their raps and heart-warming stories.”

Tune in to Mirchi 98.3 to commemorate a harmonious nation and its myriad of voices during this Independence Week. 

Mumbai: Indian soldiers have fought in some of our nation’s most significant conflicts. Some of these soldiers have even sacrificed their lives for their country. Amazon miniTV honors all unheralded heroes for their countless sacrifices that have contributed to the safety of the nation and its citizens. Rakshak: India’s Braves captures the incident of Lieutenant Triveni Singh who braved the odds as he fought the terrorists at Jammu Tawi railway station and sacrificed his life to save over 300 civilians present at the station.

As the film marks the steppingstone of the streaming service into the patriotic genre, Amazon miniTV has shared a heart-touching video that captures a candid conversation between the reel life Lt Triveni Singh portrayed by the talented actor Varun Mitra and the real-life family of the Ashok Chakra awardee. The conversation captures the feelings of Lt Singh’s family’s views about him as a person and about his journey to be a soldier in the Indian Army. Sharing their thoughts about the movie being made about their son, Lt Singh’s mother mentioned, “Main bahut proud feel kar rahi hu, sabhi ki picture nahi banti.”

During the conversation, the mother of  Lt Triveni Singh revealed that no one in the family was aware that he had applied for the army, and when she questioned her son, he answered, “Mummy, saare select nahi hote na, jab select ho jaounga tab bata dunga”. Varun Mitra further expresses that the more he heard about Lt Triveni Singh the more he questioned himself if he would be able to do justice to the character. He defined Lt Triveni Singh as a selfless man, he said, “Woh log hi alag hote hai, unke andar kuch aur hi mitti hoti hai”.

His sister revealed that Lt Singh was selected for the navy but his father didn’t want him to go there; instead, he was sent to the Agricultural University where he finished his B.Sc Honors. After completing his degree, he joined the Indian Army. She further added that he was referred to as Tom Cruise’ in his university for his sharp looks and she also mentioned that she was spellbound to see her brother in the soldier’s uniform. The family also revealed that he was a selfless man who always kept the security and sovereignty of the country as his top priority. Unaware of the incident, Singh’s family was preparing for his wedding back at home. With laughter echoing inside the house, and preparations in full swing, they were informed about the fateful incident at the Jammu Tawi station.

Varun Mitra who essays the role of Lt Triveni Singh on screen shared his thoughts and said, “It is very difficult to put into words my emotional state as we drove to meet the family from Patiala to Pathankot. Everyone was welcoming and warm.  It was a wholesome energy. Everyone spoke of the striking similarity between Triveni sir and I. His mother said that our eyes looked very similar and there was something about our demeanor and energy that was akin. His mother and sister also said “Tumhe lagta hai ki Tumhe producer ya director ne select kiya hai aisa nahi hai jitne bhi log is crew ya casting mai hai, un logo ko Triveni ne select kiya hai (You maybe thinking that the producer and director have cast you, but truth be told, everyone from the cast and crew have been selected by Triveni.)” and that really brought up a whole lot of emotions for me.”

Tracing the life of the Ashok Chakra-awardee, with a backdrop of the terrorist attack on Jammu Railway Station, the movie captures and invokes the sentiment of patriotism and national pride. Directed by Akshay Chaubey, and produced by Juggernaut, the movie stars Kanika Mann, Mrinal Naval, Mrinal Kulkarni, and Mohit Chauhan, along with Varun Mitra in the lead role.

Mumbai: As the nation prepares to paint the sky with the colors of freedom and patriotism, what better way to honor the spirit of Independence Day than by delving into a world of captivating characters? Disney+ Hotstar proudly presents a handpicked selection that shines a spotlight on these remarkable characters from thrilling shows and movies. Join us on a journey where each story weaves a tale of courage, sacrifice, and determination, mirroring the qualities that defined our nation’s struggle for freedom. 

Aditya Roy Kapoor and Tillotama Shome’s heroic spirit in The Night Manager

Step into the world of Aditya Roy Kapoor’s Shaan Sengupta and Tillotama Shome’s RAW officer Lipika Rao in the series The Night Manager on Disney+ Hotstar this Independence Day. From a traumatic incident at a Dhaka hotel to a daring undercover mission, Shaan’s transformation into a reluctant saviour and Lipika’s strategic brilliance combine to take down the deadly arms dealer Shelly Rungta and protect the nation from the doom.

Prem in Commando, a patriotic tale of courage and dedication

If you’re looking to add some adrenaline to your Independence Day celebrations, Commando on Disney+ Hotstar is your go-to show. Imagine high-flying stunts, jaw-dropping action, and a new hero in town named Prem. This series, brought to life by Vipul Amrutlal Shah is all about patriotism, courage, and epic heroics. Join Prem as he takes on thrilling challenges and embodies the spirit of our country’s pride.

KK Menon’s relentless pursuit for the truth in Special Ops

In the riveting series Special Ops, Independence Day takes on a new meaning through the determined character of Himmat Singh, portrayed brilliantly by KK Menon. As an integral part of the Research and Analysis Wing, Himmat Singh embarks on a relentless mission to decipher patterns in terrorist attacks, firmly believing in the existence of a mastermind orchestrating them all. Alongside his international task force of five agents, strategically positioned across the globe, Himmat Singh’s unwavering dedication echoes the spirit of Independence Day itself. Join his pursuit for truth and justice as ‘Special Ops’ unfolds its gripping tale.

All the hawks in the Hawks Force of Shoorveer

In the exciting story of Shoorveer, the Hawks are a special team that includes army, air force, and navy members. They work together, just like our heroes from Independence Day who fought for our country. With Group Captain Ranjan Malik leading and the national security advisor guiding them, they remind us of our fight for freedom. Like our ancestors who stood together and showed courage, the hawks unite and fight as one team. Against a strong enemy, Shoorveer teaches us the same values that helped India become independent: being brave and working together.”

Ajay Devgn in Rudra: The Edge of Darkness

In the gripping series ‘Rudra – The Edge of Darkness,’ Ajay Devgn shines as Deputy commissioner of police Rudraveer Singh. His portrayal reflects a strong and determined character, facing challenges with unwavering resolve. Just like the spirit we celebrate on Independence Day, Rudraveer’s journey highlights qualities of courage and unity, making ‘Rudra – The Edge of Darkness’ a compelling watch that embodies these timeless values.”